Peek Inside a Restored Victorian Cottage

When Cathy Collins finally got her hands on this neglected Arkansas home, she created an inspired 19th century-inspired retreat.

A Cottage Revival

"We have an old-house fetish," admits Cathy Collins, describing how she and her husband, Jeff, tend to fall in love with dilapidated properties. In 2003, the Des Moines–based couple bought a getaway in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Soon after, Cathy, a high school Spanish teacher, zeroed in on a two-bedroom Gothic Victorian just down the hill.

In this photo: A salvaged worktable provides the kitchen's prep surface. Cathy collects pig-shaped cutting boards ("I just think they're so cute!") and snagged this little guy along with the two round ones at a local antiques shop. The breadbox houses the silverware.

Good Housekeeping already has an account with this email address. Link your account to use Facebook to sign in to Good Housekeeping. To insure we protect your account, please fill in your password below.

Your information has been saved and an account has been created for you giving you full access to everything goodhousekeeping.com and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your username and/or password or complete your profile, click here.